Sept. 16, 2009 - PRLog -- Central Texas residents will have a rare one-stop opportunity to find answers to financial questions September 25-26 when the Austin Money Show takes over the Austin Convention Center with a showcase of experts ready to meet the challenge head on.

Thinking of retirement or the best opportunities to invest? Does your high school student want information on scholarships available to college? Need advice on opening your own business? Looking for tax-free income for the senior years?

Those answers and many more will be available during the two-day Austin Money Show sponsored by the Education Foundation of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT).

Thirty-three different workshops have been scheduled Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, with information for teens through retirees. Three different stages—broken out for Small Business, Putting Your Financial House in Order and Lifestyles—will feature speakers from banking, investment houses, insurance, law, education and government.

There will be something for the entire family. Junior Achievement is providing information from its Finance Park for the younger set, joining speakers offering tips on opening that first bank account and saving while advancing through college.

The IBAT Education Foundation launched the Austin Money Show as a major part of its mission to make Texas financially literate. IBAT and its 500 Texas-based member banks created the Foundation to combat the problem of a financially ignorant populace in the face of disturbing statistics.

“One-third of American adults have no savings,” Foundation President Mary Lange said. “That’s 72 million people. Thirty seven percent don’t know their credit score and over 29 million do not have medical insurance…a number that is growing among Gen Y adults.

“We can’t cure the nation’s problems but hope that The Austin Money Show will be a start in helping Texans become scholars when it comes to finances,” Lange said.

The Money Show is designed as an interactive educational event and expo to help Texans learn about earning, saving, managing, protecting and growing money.

And it will be active as well as interactive throughout the convention halls. The Biz Radio Network and KLBJ-AM will be broadcasting from the exhibit floor. Door prizes will be given away each hour. The Boys and Girls Club of Austin will entertain with its popular Grounded In Music and Austin running czar Paul Carrozza of RunTex will provide a lesson on optimizing a personal training regimen.

In fact, running will provide a major sidelight to the event itself. Participants in the Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay, the official first race of the Austin Distance Challenge, will be a noticeable part if the public throughout the two-day event.

Packets for the race, which will be run on September 27, will be distributed at The Austin Money Show during show hours each day. There will be no packet pickup on the day of the race.

Admission to the two-day event will be $10 at the door with children under 12 free when accompanied by an adult. Preregistration of $5 is available at www.austinmoneyshow.com.Contact: Mary E. Lange, CAEIBAT Foundation President

Building Financially Literate Communities

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About the IBAT Education Foundation

As the philanthropic arm of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, the IBAT Education Foundation funds initiatives with the power to help community bankers actively create a more secure financial future for all Texans. Our focus is directed toward financial literacy programs for consumers and bankers.

Texas community bankers are seeking ways to be proactive in counteracting a threat to the public's financial health - mounting consumer and commercial debt, understanding how banks operate, and taking responsibility for choices and financial decisions.

The Foundation, a 501(c)3 not for profit organization, is guided by its own Board made up of IBAT members. As we grow, the Board will grow and always exemplify the partnering between community bankers and the communities they serve by including civic leaders, philanthropists, spouses, business leaders and others.